Taking Flight

This past week both Dragonfly and I celebrated our birthdays. As part of the celebration with friends and family, we decided to do a hike on Mt. Major. I don't know this for certain because it's seemingly impossible to find good records, but I would guess that Mt. Major is one of the five most popular hiking mountains in New Hampshire. I would guess that they are Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Chocorua, Mt. Washington, Mt. Major, and Mt. Lafayette in some order. Major is so popular that Dragonfly and I once drove by and counted a full mile of cars parked by the side of the road, and that's despite the fact that Major has a fairly large parking lot. Joining Dragonfly and I for our hike were Dragonfly's cousin, now known as Hummingbird, as well as Dragonfly's sister Sondra, brother-in-law Ben, and niece Amaya. We got there at 10:45 or so, so we couldn't find a spot in the lot, but we got road parking that was pretty close to the lot. Everyone had their own hiking equipment ex

Winter is not my favorite time of year. I suffer from a mild case of SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, which basically means that my mood declines in the winter months. December isn't that bad thanks to the holidays, and in January the winter still seems full of possibilities like skiing or ice skating. By the time the season turns to February and March, though, it's rough. Living in Maine makes it especially hard, because we get so much less sunlight than places to the south. I was feeling it a lot this week, so I knew that I had to get out for a hike this weekend to help lift my spirits. The choices were limited. I have finished every winter peak in New Hampshire except Tecumseh, and I am saving that one. Vermont is too far away. Thus, my attention turned to the peaks I still had to finish in Maine. For peaks that are available without a permit, I had three options. The first option was Abraham, but I still haven't worked out the logistical plan for how to drive to tha